Trump’s stark warning to Putin after Russia drones hit maternity ward: ‘You’ll be seeing issues occur’ | EUROtoday

President Donald Trump on Friday issued a none-too-veiled menace of motion in opposition to Russia after Moscow’s forces pounded a Ukrainian maternity hospital, injuring 9 folks earlier within the day.

Speaking to reporters earlier than departing the White House to view flood harm in Texas, the place 121 have died and 170 are nonetheless lacking, the president was requested concerning the drone assault in opposition to the civilian goal.

He replied: “I know. You’ll be seeing things happen.”

The president’s cryptic comment got here lower than a day after he instructed NBC News that he’d be making a “major statement” on the standing of the three-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict this coming Monday.

In a cellphone interview, the president mentioned he was “disappointed” in Russia and reiterated his latest pledge to ship extra weapons to Ukraine, explaining that the U.S. could be doing so by means of NATO allies that may buy the weapons from American stockpiles.

“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine]and NATO is paying for those weapons,” Trump mentioned. “We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons.”

And it additionally comes after a brand new e book revealed him telling donors that he beforehand had warned Putin he would “bomb the s**t out of Moscow” if the Russian chief attacked Ukraine.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s**t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,” Trump mentioned in audio obtained by authors and Washington Post reporters Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf for his or her new e book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.

“And then [Putin] goes, like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ But he believed me 10%,” they wrote that the president added.

Trump entered workplace for his second time period as a strident critic of U.S. assist for Ukraine and has had a rocky relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky relationship again to a now-infamous July 2019 cellphone name between the 2 leaders that led to the primary of his two impeachment trials within the U.S. Senate.

He as soon as ordered a halt to shipments of weapons to Kyiv after a disastrous Oval Office assembly with the Ukrainian president in March however resumed them after Republican lawmakers complained. And earlier this week he ordered the deliveries of munitions to renew after Pentagon officers went behind his again to halt shipments for what was described as a overview of American weapons stockpile ranges.

But his tone in the direction of Ukraine and Russia has modified in latest weeks as U.S. efforts to dealer a ceasefire within the three-year-old battle have come to naught, a growth he’s understood to put on the ft of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

During a cupboard assembly on Tuesday, Trump mentioned he was “not happy” with the Russian president, who he accused of “killing a lot of people”, together with lots of his personal troopers to the tune of “7,000 a week.”

Trump additionally instructed reporters there was “no reason” for Russia’s continued assaults on Ukraine and complained that reaching a ceasefire within the three-year-old conflict Putin launched has been “tougher” than anticipated, whereas crediting Kyiv’s forces for bravery as they’ve battled again Russia’s invasion.

“I will say the Ukrainians were brave, but we gave them the best equipment ever made … we gave them missiles, the latest and the greatest. They were able to shoot down a lot of things,” he mentioned.

The president additionally acknowledged that lots of his supporters may take into account it “unfair” that the U.S. has spent billions for weapons certain for Ukraine whereas nonetheless crediting Ukrainians for exhibiting valor whereas utilizing their American-made army provides in opposition to Russia.

Continuing, Trump mentioned that Putin, with whom he has had a comparatively shut relationship in contrast with lots of America’s allies, has “thrown a lot of bulls***” at him whereas persevering with to prosecute the conflict he began in 2022.

“It’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” he mentioned.

He later added that Putin was “not treating human beings right” and is “killing too many people” in Ukraine.

Trump’s teasing of a “major announcement” comes as he’s understood to be contemplating lending assist to a bipartisan invoice underneath debate in Congress that will impose but extra sanctions on Moscow in an effort to choke off the funds powering Putin’s conflict machine.

Sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, it will impose a whopping 500 % import tax on items imported from any nation that purchases Russian oil, fuel, uranium and different exports.

The impact of the punishing tariffs could be focused in opposition to two American buying and selling companions, China and India, as a result of these international locations account for roughly 70 % of the Russian power commerce which bankrolls a lot of Moscow’s conflict effort.

Trump is known to be open to supporting the sanctions laws however is pushing for the invoice to be amended to offer him extra energy to elevate and impose the sanctions at will.